Method of molding concrete blocks



Feb. 16,' 1943. R B, SHUGART 2,311,479

METHOD 0F MOLDING CONCRETE BLQGKS Filed Sept. 4,l 1941 Tgf.

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rumy /S/z agar? Patented Feb. 16, 1943 UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD F MOLDTNG CONCRETE BLOCKS Robert B. Shugart, Orlando, Fla.

Application September 4, 1941, Serial No. 409,571

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in concrete block and method of making same.

Molded concrete blocks have heretofore been molded to provide inner and outer wall sections connected by spaced ribs to form intervening channels or air spaces in an endeavor to provide heat, moisture, frost and cold insulation areas between the inner and outer walls of the block, but in such constructions, the connecting ribs between said spaced walls that enclosed the air spaces act as conductors of heat, moisture, frost and cold and defeat the purpose for which such blocks are intended. Attempts have been made to overcome the foregoing deficiencies in the molding of double-walled blocks by connecting the inner and outer wall sections thereof with metallic tie rods or expanded sheet metal strips or the like initially embedded in the connecting webs between the wall sections with the connecting webs chipped or broken away after the molding of the double-walledr block which leaves the two wall sections of the block assembled and so fixed by the connecting rods or expanded sheet metal strips. However, such a method of manufacture of a. double-walled. block is an expensive one, caused by the time and labor required in breaking away the spacing or connecting web between the wall sections of the block and which method frequently results in serious damage to the block.

It is therefore the primary object of the invention to provide a prefabricated breakdown spacer element carrying a tie member for use in any standard type of solid web or furred block machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a prefabricated soluble spacer element carrying a tie member wherein one or more soluble spacer elements are arranged spaced relation lengthwise and centrally of a mold box and in combination with the usual cores providing the air spaces between the opposed walls of a double-walled block, with the tie members anchored at their ends in the opposed walls of the block and operative for retaining the opposed walls in xed relation after the soluble spacer elements have been removed during curing of the block by the usual water spray which accomplishes the washing out of the soluble spacer elements,

A further object of the invention is to provide a double-walled block, that can be manufactured in any standard solid web machine, with the walls of the block connected together' by tie rods of any preferred design or expanded sheet metal strips with such tie rods or sheet metal strips constituting elements of a prefabricated spacer' element with the spacer element formed of such material that may be readily broken down, dissolved, or washed away during the water curing of the molded block, which leaves the doublewalls of the block in a permanently connected condition against relative movements by the tie rods or expanded sheet metal strips or the like, Without additional labor and added expense of removing or cleaning out the same.

With the above and other objects in View that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is' a top plan View, partly in section ofA the mold box with a double-walled block therein, illustrating a water or other fluid soluble spacer element or carrier for the tie members connecting the wall sections of the block;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Figure l, showing the tie wire connection between the wall sections of the block;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the completed block, showing the wall sections connected by the tie member;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line l--i of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional View of another form of block wherein the two walls thereof are connected by expanded sheet metal tie members or the like.

In the accompanying drawing the block mold may assume any configuration, the same being illustrated of rectangular form and having side walls Ii] and end walls Il, preferably of channel formation as illustrated in Figure 2.

The type of block to be molded as shown in Figure 3, comprises opposed wall sections I2, each wal] section I2 carrying at the ends thereof, a right angularly disposed web I3 and a similar web III intermediate the ends thereof, the webs I3 and I4 of the opposed walls I2 being substantially aligned with each other and providing air chambers i5 between the Wall sections. The opposed webs I3 and I4 terminate in spaced relation to each other and are maintained in such spaced relation by means of tie rods or wires i6 embedded at their ends in the wall sections I2 and extending through the Webs I3 to span the intervening spaces I1 between the spaced ends of the opposed webs.

In the molding of the block illustrated in Figure 3, cores I8 are placed in the mold box while the breakdown spacer elements or carriers for the connecting rods between the wall sections of the mold are also placed within the mold box, one of such breakdown spacer elements or carriers being located between the cores I8 as indicated by the reference character I9 while end breakdown spacer elements or carriers 28 are placed between the outer ends of the cores I8 and the end walls II of the mold box, the breakdown spacer elements I9 and 20 being positioned n the longitudinal median line of the mold box as shown in Figure 1. Breakdown spacer elements I9 and 2U are preformed with the tie connections IS between the wall sections I2 of the building block, the height of the breakdown spacer elements being comparable with the height of the block to be molded, while the tie rod connection is supported by the breakdown spacer elements intermediate its ends with the opposite ends of the tie rods terminating in slightly spaced relation with respect to the side Walls I0 of the mold box to aid in centering the break-down spacer elements. After the spacer elements I8 and I9 have been placed in the mold box, concrete or other material for the manufacture of the block is poured into the mold box in contact with the exposed faces of the cores I8 and the exposed faces of the spacer elements I9 and Z, the block material embedding. the tie rod connections I6 therein, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawing.

After the double-walled block has been molded, the same is removed from the mold box and watered, or otherwise treated for the curing thereof. The breakdown spacer elements I9 and 20 carrying the tie rod connections I 6 may be formed of any material which will readily dissolve or wash away during the water or like curing of the block and such break-down spacer elements, for example, may be formed of a combination of sawdust, flour and water, sand and a suitable binder as glue or other gelatinous substance, or of an argillaceous character. During the water curing of the block, the breakdown spacer elements I9 and 20 wash away, which leaves the finished double-walled block illustrated in Figure 3, having the spaced wall sections I2 thereof rigidly connected by the tie rods I6.

The tie rod I6, as shown in Figures 1 to 3,

is of a looped design for purpose of illustration only and this tie rod may comprise aI plurality of such loops or be of double S or serpentine formation, the gist of this invention broadly residing in a tie connection carried by a breakdown spacer element for use in connecting spaced wall sections of a double-walled block.

In lieu of a tie rod or wire connection between the wall sections of a double-walled block, such wall sections may be connected together by a. strip of expanded sheet metal or the like, indicated by the reference character 2| in Figure 5,

y this sheet or strip of expanded sheet metal being initially carried by a soluble preformed breakdown spacer element, with the expanded sheet metal strip operative for holding the wall sections of the double-walled block in assembled relation after the break-down spacer element has been dissolved or washed away.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

l. .The method of molding concrete blocks of opposed wall sections rigidly connected by tie members, said method consisting of placing preformed disintegrable breakdown spacer elements carrying tie members in a mold box, pouring concrete in the mold box to form the wall sections with the concrete bordering the preformed breakdown spacer elements and embedding the tie members in the concrete and disintegrating and removing the preformed breakdown spacer elements during curing of the blocks.

2. The method of molding concrete blocks of opposed wall sections rigidly'connected by tie members, said method consisting of placing preformed soluble breakdown spacer elements carrying tie members in a mold box, pouring concrete in the mold box to form the wall sections with the concrete bordering the preformed soluble breakdown spacer elements, and embedding the tie members in the concrete and washing out the preformed soluble breakdown spacer elements .z during curing of the blocks.

ROBERT B. SHUGART. 

